Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes for the second time this week in Yemen’s eastern Hadhramaut region, targeting areas controlled by forces aligned with the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council, marking a sharp escalation in tensions within the anti-Houthi coalition.
The strikes came amid heavy clashes in the mountainous north of Hadhramaut, where the STC’s UAE-trained elite forces have been battling a Saudi-backed tribal alliance. The fighting reflects an intensifying struggle for territorial control as the STC moves to consolidate its presence in the strategically significant region.
Riyadh has accused the STC of acting unilaterally after its forces seized control of two provinces in Hadhramaut without coordination with the Saudi-recognized government based in Aden. Saudi officials argue that the advance undermines the cohesion of the coalition and have demanded that STC forces withdraw and align their actions with the internationally recognized government.
The STC, however, views its expansion as a necessary step toward securing greater autonomy for southern Yemen. The group, which openly calls for the re-establishment of an independent southern state, has framed its actions as part of a broader effort to stabilize and govern areas it considers historically southern territory.
The airstrikes underscore growing friction between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, longtime partners in Yemen’s war but increasingly divided over the country’s political future. While both oppose the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, their support for rival local forces has fueled internal power struggles in areas outside Houthi control.
In an attempt to contain the fallout, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have dispatched joint military teams to Aden to mediate between the rival factions. Whether diplomacy can ease the confrontation remains uncertain, as competing visions for Yemen’s future continue to pull the coalition in opposing directions.
